Shanghai – “A Look Up Front”

09. June 2014

Next week, exhibitors, delegates, and visitors from all over the world will flock to Shanghai’s New International Expo Center to attend Air Cargo China, an integrated part of Transport
Logistic China. We spoke with some of the participants what motivates them to join the show.Here’s what they told us:

Steven Polmans

Steven Polmans, Head of Cargo, Brussels Airport
“China and Asia remain an important market in Air Cargo, both for us as an airport but also for many of the companies at our airport. Export figures grew last year and Belgium is generating more
export cargo to China than for example the Netherlands. So we feel that being present in China and promoting ourselves in the China market as well as to the greater Asia region remains as an
added value. As on previous exhibitions, we will also have our pavilion booth again, offering a platform for some of our partners at BRUcargo to give them an opportunity to promote themselves.
Also some additional side events are planned. We feel that this role, where we act as a facilitator for BRUcargo, is as important as promoting ourselves. So the return we are expecting is not
short term gain, but long term investment in image, relations and reputation. And although there is some exciting news coming up in the next days and weeks, we will not especially use the
conference to promote this but we will rather focus on the normal business networking and relation building.”

Robert van de Weg

Robert van de Weg, Senior VP Marketing and Sales, AirBridge Cargo

“We really look forward to the Shanghai-held event. Seen from our perspective it promises to be a great trade show as our already fully booked agendas demonstrate. Our main purpose is to
meet customers and highlight our large and growing presence in the Chinese market. We want to promote and stress our service offering to the Chinese market to and from our gateways Shanghai, Hong
Kong, Beijing, Zhengzhou and Chengdu. Our on-time performance to and from Russia and major forwarder consolidation gateways like Frankfurt, Milano, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Chicago and Dallas is
our key message, we intend to deliver to as many participants as possible. Good thing is that our airport and handling partners are also there. Seeing and meeting them all at one spot the event
provides an efficient and adequate platform to do as much business as possible in a rather short period of time. So I’m really looking forward to be the many meets and talks at Air Cargo China
next week.”

Markus Heinelt

Markus Heinelt, Director Traffic Development Cargo Business Division Aviation, Munich Airport „China is still the biggest air cargo market for Germany.
Southern Germany with Munich as the region’s by far largest gateway accounts for about 45 percent of the entire cargo tonnage and flow of shipments between Germany and China - both ways. Munich
airport offers an increasing number of direct flights on intercontinental routes and in addition to the growing passenger business we can also see a strong demand for direct freighter operations.
All lower deck capacities offered by passenger airlines serving Munich for transporting cargo shipments are very well booked on roundtrips to and from China. This also applies to main deck
service provider AirBridge Cargo who’s capacity on their Boeing 747-400Fs or 747-8F have been well utilized by their clients from the very first day of their flights from Munich to China via
Moscow and back.
Therefore, from a holistic point of view participating at the Shanghai-held Transport Logistic Show is a must for our airport. We decided to run our own booth there to welcome and host
representatives from airlines, forwarding agencies and others. This way, we hope to strengthen the partnership with our airline customers and to establish new ties.”

Bernd Maresch

Bernd Maresch, CEO HANS MARS Agency, Moderator
"Straight into highly important industry topics, I will involve industry leaders and people with a clue with two elaborate discussions: Our panels at transport logistic 2014, Air Cargo China will
have two very actual themes: ‘Create talent’ and ‘The Asean Economic Community: Implications for air freight and the e-AW’. Both of which are topics that will have a direct implication to our air
cargo industry in the very near future, actually already today. It depends on us, though how we deal with them. Everyone talks about the importance of know how sharing - we do it, by
talking about it with experts.

My aim is to challenge the panelists to come up with concrete measures, ideas and follow up actions: no presentation - just pure opinions, conclusions and commitments with to do lists. The
audience will be encouraged to raise lots of questions and the panelists are invited to a factual know how sharing." Here are some snap shots of what will be discussed:

Panel 1, Create talent:
Attracting, nurturing and retaining good staff is particularly challenging in rapidly growing economies offering attractive alternative careers. What positive contributions have young or new
leaders made in taking the sector forward towards a new and sustainable future, and where else is bright new input and innovation needed? Where and how can it be found/harnessed? And what help,
if any, are initiatives such as IATA’s Future Air Cargo Executives scheme (FACES) and the Tiaca-led Air Cargo Industry Education and Training Task Force?

Panel 2, The Asean Economic Community: Implications for air freight and the e-AWB:
The Asean Economic Community comes into effect in 2015, promising freedom of movement of goods and people across borders. What are the implications for air cargo? Will expanded road feeder
services transform intra-Asian distribution? And will the demand for timely electronic advance information provide the much-needed incentive to drive e-AWB acceptance in the region?